Sunday, 3 February 2013

Intruder

‘What’s that!’ A said, pointing, interrupting our
preparations for breakfast. An unfamiliar creature lurked in a corner formed by the
beech hedge and an unruly honeysuckle. It looked leaf-shaped; its striking
markings were perfect camouflage for skulking on the forest floor amongst the
leaf litter. It bobbed up and down like a small child needing the loo. It looked
lost. It turned its head revealing mouthparts that could conceivably be used to
pierce the flesh and drink blood. In the half-light of the winter morning, it
looked like a vast assassin bug.... an insect the size of a magpie.We unearthed binoculars and then we could admire the superb
patterns in shades of mahogany, chestnut, coffee-brown, and the bold stripes on
its head. Its beady black eyes looked less than friendly. The book said it was
related to waders, but that its ancestors had abandoned the seashore. Its beak
certainly suggested that heritage, but we wondered at how this bird managed to pinion
its insect and earthworm prey in the broad-leaved woodlands it is supposed to
inhabit. We also wondered how and why this disorientated woodcock had arrived
in our tiny suburban garden, when the nearest forest was a couple of miles
away. I guess the terrific winds that have been hitting East Anglia were responsible.
Maybe it wasn’t so disorientated though, for when our exotic visitor took off, it
headed towards the hill fort at Wandlebury, and sanctuary.
﻿